Grain cradle



' G. W. BROWN.

55mm CRADLE. APPLICATIQN FILED APILQ- I92].

1 ,41 ,609. Pafented June 13, 1922;

' art/vim? l x 92431 r 5 l 2,

GEORGE WASHINGTON BROWN,

earner series,

or GRAFTON, weer vinelnra.

GRAIN CRADLE.

' Application filed April 9,

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnome lVasrnnor-ox Bnowx, a citizen of the United States of .Aniierica, and a resident of Graitomcounty of Taylor, and State of W est Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Cradles, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grain cradles, and has for its objects to provide a cradle having a knock-down construction which permits of its being packed in small space for shipment or for storage; to provide a cradle having the fingers thereof readily removable and insertible, providing for replacement or brolren fingers as occasion may require; and to provide a cradle which conibines'strength, rigidity and durability of parts with simplicity, inexpcnsiveness and proper balance of weight.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a cradle in which the fingers are relatively adjustable, thus adapting it for the introduction of an extra finger when such. is-rendered desirable by the charactor of the grain to be out.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construc tion, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the rear end of a finger, detached; and

Figure 3 is a rear end view of the thiinble.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates the snath, and 2 the scythe, the'latter being attached to the former in any appropriate manner. Demountably fitted in the lower end portion of the snath is the reduced. end 3" of a bar 3 which serves as a support or mounting for therear ends of a plurality of fingers 4:. Said bar is provided with alined longitudinal slots 5 designed for the reception of the rear end portions of the fingers 4 and to permit of relative adjustment of said fingers.

Overlying the fingers a short distance in front of the supporting bar 3, and preferably having its inner end seated in the usual groove or channel 2 of the scythe, is a fiat bar 6 by means of which the fingers are braced more or less rigidly in their relative positions, said bracing bar having therein Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 459,949.

alined longitudinal slots 7 through which project bolts 8 rigidly carried by said fingers and having nuts, as the wing-nuts $1, adapted to be tightened upon said bar.

Each of the fingers has its rear end permanentlydisposed in the socket of a metal thimble 1.0 which has an integral tenon ll adapted to be more or less snugly received in one of the slots 5 ot the bar A threaded stem 18 formed integral with said tenon carries a wing-nut 12 adapted to be adjusted to bear upon said bar 3.

An adjustable supporting brace 13 is preferably provided for each. finger, said brace consisting of a pair of alined. rods adjust- I ably connected by means of a sleeve coupling 14 carrying a set screw 15. Said braces 13 are attached. at one end to scre\vcyes 16 mounted in said fingers adjacent to the bracing bar. 6 and at their opposite ends to screweyes 17 mounted in the snath 1 at suitable po nts.

When the cradle is to be employed for cutting low grainthat is, grain having.

2 in relatively close "assembled relation, provision thus being made for catching and saving such low grain as would otherwise be lost through its falling outward between the fingers.

When used for cutting high grain, a fewer number offingers are required than on low grain. Therefore, one of the fingers, as the central finger among those shown in Fig. l of the drawings, may be removed, and the remaining fingers spaced at greater distances apart. Such removal of a finger may be accomplished quickly by detaching the wingnuts 9 and 12 ot the finger to be removed while adjustment of the remaining fingers may be elfected by loosening the nuts 9 and 12 thereof to release said fingers, and then, sliding the bolts 8 and tenons 11 thereof laterally in the slots 7 and 5, respectively, of said bars 6 and 3, and finally re-tightening said nuts. It will be understood, of course, that the set-screws 15 must also be released to permit of the finger adjustment mentioned, following which they are again tightened. When both high and low grain is to be cut, the removable finger is introduced and the fingers relatively adjusted to occupy approximately widest spread positions per-I mitted by the slots in the bars 3 and 6.

As is apparent, the construction described r with or from any other linger.

knock-down form, and as readily assembled" permits or the ready replacement of broken fingers. It will further be noted that any finger may be adjusted without interference Add. ally, the cradle may be easily and quie ly taken apart, as for storage or shipment in by any person without the exercise of more than ordinary skill.

What is claimed is- 1. A grain cradle comprising a snath, a scythe, a finger-supporting bar attached to saidsnath and having slots therein, fingers adjustably mounted in said slots, a bar overlying said fingers adjacent to said supporting bar and having slots therein, bolts carried by said fingers projecting through the slots of the last mentioned bar, and nuts carried by said bolts.

2. A grain cradle comprising a snath, a scythe, a finger-supporting bar attached to said snath and having slots therein, a second bar located parallel. and adjacent to said supporting bar and having slots therein, fingers having tenons received in the slots of the first mentioned bar, nuts on said fingers for se :uring said lingers in adjusted position with respect to said supporting bar, bolts carried by said fingers projecting through the slots of said second bar, and nuts carried by said bolts for tightening said fingers in adjusted position with respect to said second bar. 7

3. A grain cradle comprising a snath, a scythe, a finger-supporting bar attached to said snath and having slots therein, a second bar located parallel and adjacent to said supporting bar and having slots therein, fingers having tenons received in the slots of the first mentioned bar, nuts on said fingers for securing said fingers in adjusted position with respect to said supporting bar, bolts carried by said fingers projecting through the slots of said second bar, nuts carried by said bolts for tightening said fingers in adjusted position with respect to said second on said fingers for securing said fingers in v adjusted position with respect to said sup porting bar, bolts carried by said fingers projecting through the slots of said second bar, and nuts carried by said bolts for tightening said fingers in adjusted position with respect to said second bar.

5. A knock-down grain cradle comprising a snath, a scythe detachably mounted on said snath, a bar having an end detachably mounted on said snath, said bar having longitudinal. alined slots therein, a second slotted bar located in front of and parallel to the first mentioned bar, a plurality of fingers, threaded memberscarried by the rear ends of said fingers projected through the slots of the first bar, threaded members carried by said fingers projected through the slots of the second bar, and nuts carried by each of said threaded members and adapted for tightening to secure said fingers in adjusted relation to said bars.

6. In a grain cradle, a detachable finger comprising a finger proper, a metal thimble in which the end of said finger is mounted, a tenon formed on the head of said thimble, and a threaded stem carried by said tenon in alined relation to said thi-mblel j in testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BROl/VN.

\Vitnesses O. E. PARRISH, C. 0. BROWN. 

